Basic HTML Version
Malak of Ottawa
There are three key facts about Canada’s system of government: our country is a federal state, a
parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.
Your Canadian Citizenship
Study Guide
How Canadians Govern
Themselves
28
(From Left to Right)
Queen Elizabeth II
opening the 23
rd
Parliament (1957)
Parliament Hill, Ottawa
Federal state
Thereare federal, provincial, territorial andmunicipal
governments in Canada. The responsibilities of the
federal and provincial governments were defined in
1867 in the
British North America Act
, now known as
the
Constitution Act
, 1867.
In our
federal state
, the federal government
takes responsibility for matters of national and
international concern. These include defence,
foreign policy, interprovincial trade and
communications, currency, navigation, criminal
law and citizenship. The provinces are responsible
for municipal government, education, health,
natural resources, property and civil rights,
and highways. The federal government and the
provinces share jurisdiction over agriculture
and immigration. Federalism allows different
provinces to adopt policies tailored to their own
populations, and gives provinces the flexibility to
experiment with new ideas and policies.
Every province has its own elected Legislative
Assembly, like the House of Commons in Ottawa.
The three northern territories, which have small
populations, do not have the status of provinces,
but their governments and assemblies carry out
many of the same functions.
Parliamentary democracy
In Canada’s
parliamentary democracy
, the people
elect members to theHouse of Commons inOttawa
and to the provincial and territorial legislatures.
These representatives are responsible for passing
laws, approving and monitoring expenditures,
and keeping the government accountable.
Cabinet ministers are responsible to the elected
representatives, which means they must retain
the “confidence of the House” and have to resign
if they are defeated in a non-confidence vote.
Parliament has three parts: the
Sovereign
(Queen
or King), the
Senate
and the
House of Commons
.
Provincial legislatures comprise the Lieutenant
Governor and the elected Assembly.
In the federal government, the
Prime Minister
selects the Cabinet ministers and is responsible for
the operations and policy of the government. The
House of Commons
is the representative chamber,
made up of members of Parliament elected by the
people, traditionally every four years.
Senators
are
appointed by the Governor General on the advice
of the Prime Minister and serve until age 75. Both
the House of Commons and the Senate consider
and review
bills
(proposals for new laws). No
bill can become law in Canada until it has been
passed by both chambers and has received royal
assent, granted by the Governor General on behalf
of the Sovereign.